Telephone directory cover

ABSTRACT

A telephone directory binder cover having a backer plate, top and bottom plates removably attached to the backer plate and front and back covers, the backer plate having C-shaped recesses extending longitudinally of the backer plate along the marginal edges thereof, the covers having cylindrical edges in said Cshaped recesses, the recesses and cylindrical edges forming a hinge mounting between the backer plate and the cover, the assembled binder cover being adaptable for hinge, cable, or chain mounting.

ates atent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Venerio J. Rigolini Brooklyn;

William L. Lawson, Forest Hills, both of N'.Y.

July 1, 1969 Nov. 2, 1971 Whitehouse Products, Inc.

Brooklyn, N.Y.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY COVER 9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

11.8. Cl 281/34, 281/49 Int. Cl B42d 17/00 Field of Search 281/1, 3 R,4,15 R, 15 A, 16-18, 19, 29, 34, 36, 46-50, 20; 402/7348 ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,559,446 10/1925 Mass 281/47 3,322,1295/1967 Drysdale 281/49 3,373,749 3/1968 Wance etal.. 281/19R 3,425,4212/1969 Feder 281/48 FOREIGN PATENTS 608,232 9/1960 ltaly 281/47 PrimaryExaminer- Robert W. Michell AttorneyCharles B. Smith ABSTRACT: Atelephone directory binder cover having a backer plate, top and bottomplates removably attached to the hacker plate and front and back covezs,the backer plate having C-shaped recesses extending longitudinally ofthe backer plate along the marginal edges thereof, the covers havingcylindrical edges in said C-shaped recesses, the recesses andcylindrical edges forming a hinge mounting between the hacker plate andthe cover, the assembled binder cover being adaptable for hinge, cable,or chain mounting.

TELEPHONE DIRECTORY COVER This invention relates to binders or holdersfor use on directories and, more particularly, on telephone directorieswhere one or more directories are placed in a binder or holder andattached or supported in a structure for convenient access forconsultation and maintenance.

Directories and, more particularly, telephone directories, are printedand bound with stiff paper covers which, when the directory is used in apublic place as, for example, a public telephone booth, are subject totearing, curling and similar damage. To prevent such damage, it is theusual practice to place such directories in a protective binder orholder and to fasten the directory in such binder or holder to thetelephone booth or structure with a chain, cable, hinge or the like.Where the areas serviced by the telephone, or telephones, cover morethan one directory area, for instance, a city and its surroundingsuburbs, each having its own telephone directory, a plurality ofdirectories may be placed in a single holder or binder.

The type of holder or binder required and the manner in which it is tobe fastened to the booth or structure depends, to an appreciable extent,upon whether the telephone booth is an outside booth exposed to theelements, an inside protected booth, a desk or table from which thedirectory or directories may service a number of public telephones, andthe like. If an outside booth, the holder binder must, of course, beweatherproof and, in most instances, include some provision for thefastening of the binder or holder to the booth. In most outside singletelephone booths, the directory holder or binder is fastened to thebooth with a chain or cable. Where the booth is inside, a weatherproofbinder is not required. For such inside use, the binder is eitherfastened with a chain or cable or may be hinged, at one end, to asuitable structure, such as, a table or desk. 7

The requirements for outside weatherproof binders, inside binders, whereweatherproofing is not required, binders that may be fastened with acable or chain and binders that may be hinged, has led to the need for awide variety of binders. Thus, a telephone company, which must furnishand maintain such a variety of binders, must purchase a number ofdifferent binders and maintain sufficient inventory of each such binderso that, as is required, replacements are available. Not only does suchtelephone company maintain inventory of each such binder but, inaddition, must have sufficient binders of the various types available toits service personnel who, in many instances, service outside booths,inside booths and cable or chain attached and hinged binders.

Over and above the variety of binders required for servicing, in manyinstances when a binder requires-replacement only a part of the binderhas failed. For example, the front or back cover may have become worn, acover hinge may be broken, the hinge connecting the binder and directoryto the booth may be bent or broken or one or more of the other binderparts may have failed. More commonly, the front or back cover may havebeen defaced. Irrespective of what part of the binder may be damaged, inbinders most commonly used the entire binder must be replaced. Thus,those parts of the binder still serviceable are removed along with thefailed or damaged part and the entire binder is replaced. Theserviceable parts may be later salvaged but such salvaging requiresshipping, storage, and handling and a substantial binder inventory.

Many of the problems heretofore encountered with telephone directorybinders are overcome in the instant invention by providing a binderwhich, with a variety of parts, can be readily assembled by theinstaller at the telephone location to meet the needs of the particularlocation. Thus, where the telephone booth is located out of doors, thebinder may be assembled at the location with weatherproof covers. If thebinder and directory are to be mounted with a chain or cable, the bindermay be assembled at the location with the appropriate parts for thechain or cable. If, on the other hand, the binder and directory are tobe hinge mounted, the binder may be assembled at the location with theappropriate hinge parts.

Only a pair of circuit pliers are required for the assembly of thebinder of the instant invention. Assembly of the binder, as will be seenfrom the following description, is relatively simple. Hence, the bindercan be assembled with the particular parts required for the particularinstallation at the telephone location without difficulty and spareparts can be kept and stored on service trucks without taking upappreciable space. This is important because of the many other itemsthat must be carried and readily available in the usual telephoneinstallers service truck.

Apart from the assembly of the binder of the instant application at thetelephone location to meet the particular needs of such location,servicing of the binder of the instant invention, in comparison withbinders heretofore used, is relatively simplified. The part or parts ofthe binder found to be worn or damaged at the installation can bereadily removed from the binder and replaced with new parts. Removal andreplacement of the worn or damaged binder with a replacement binder andthe need for a variety of replacement binders on the service truck iseliminated. Likewise, the shipping, storage, and handling for salvageand substantial inventory of replacement binders is eliminated.

The instant invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription and attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the binder of the instant inventionshowing the binder with a hinge support in accordance with one of theembodiments of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. I but showing certain of the partsbroken away and the parts in exploded view in assembly relationship;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the hinge-supported binder of FIGS. 1 and2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, in section, taken at line 4- 4, FIG.3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken at line 5-5, FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the binder of the instant invention showingthe binder in one embodiment supported by a cable;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken at line 7-7, FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a partial side elevational view showing a further modificationof the cable support.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the binder of the instant invention includesbacker plate, generally designated 2, front cover, generally designated4, rear cover, generally designated 6, bottom bracket plate, generallydesignated 8 and, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, topbracket plate generally designated 10, having a hinge bracket 12 forreceiving a hinge pin 14, located on a telephone booth.

Backer plate 2 is preferably of metal, cast, forged, machine or extrudedand, preferably, is an aluminum extrusion. C- shaped receptacles 20, 24extend longitudinally along the opposite edges of backer plate 2, themouth or open end of the C-shaped receptacles being small enough toretain the cylindrical portion of the cover hinges, as hereinafterdescribed, yet large enough to permit the covers to swing open andclose. Brackets 26, 28 extend outwardly from the inner side of backerplate 2, along the inner margins thereof, and include, respectively,outwardly extending flanges 30, 32 and inwardly extending flanges 34,36. Inwardly extending flanges 34, 36 are spaced from the back of backerplate 2 forming a recess therebetween for purposes hereinafterdescribed.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. I and 2, bottombracket 8 includes keeper portion 40 which, when assembled, slides intothe recess in backer plate 2 formed between flanges 34, 36 and the backsurface of backer plate 2. Keeper portion 40 of bracket 8 has a hole 42which, when bracket 8 is in place, is in alignment with hole 44 inbacker plate 2. Pin 46 passing through holes 44, 42 and receiving ingroove 48, circlet 49. Pin 46, groove 48 and circlet 49, spring engagedin groove 48, holds bracket 8 assembled on backer plate 2. As best shownin FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 7, bracket 8 has an outwardly extending portion 50,having a hole 51 therethrough and a portion 52, bent inwardly towardkeeper portion 40. Portion 52 has keyed openings 54, 56, FIG. 2, andopenings 58, 60 for receiving the curved end portions of rods 62, 64.Ears 66, 68 of bracket 8 extend rearwardly and cover the ends of theC-shaped receptacles 20, 24 of backer plate 2 when bracket 8 and backerplate 2 are assembled. The bottom surface of bracket 8, FIGS. 4 and 7,is covered with a plastic plate 70, such as nylon, having a hole 71therethrough and riveted to portion 50 with hole 71 of plate 70 alignedwith hole 51 of extending portion 50 of bracket 8. When the binder isassembled and installed, plate 70 prevents the end of the binder frommarking, gouging, r marring the telephone booth.

Intermediate its ends, backer plate 2 has a hole 72. Button 74 havingspring tongues 76 is pressed into hole 72 and may be removed forpurposes hereinafter described.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 4, keeper portion 80 of topbracket and keeper portion 84 of hinge bracket 12 are joined, as forexample, by electric spot welding, with hole 86 in keeper portion 80aligned with hole 88 in keeper portion 84. Keeper portion 84 of hingebracket 12 is wider than keeper portion 80 of bracket 10, the widerportion of keeper 84 sliding into the recess in backer plate 2 behindflanges 34, 36, Pin 92, having a groove 94, passes through hole 96 inbacker plate 2, aligned with holes 86, 88, circlet 98, in groove 94 ofpin 92, holding the top bracket 10, hinge bracket 12, and backer plate94 assembled.

Top bracket 10 has an outwardly extending portion 100, having ears 102,I04, FIGS. 1 and 3 which, when assembled on backer plate 2, cover theends of the C-shaped receptacles 20, 24. Portion 106 of top plate 10bends inwardly toward keeper portion 80 and has keyed openings 108, 110for receiving the hooked ends of rods 62, 64.

Covers 4, 6 may be identical and used interchangeably or separate frontand back covers may be provided. It may be preferred to use a moreexpensive covering material for the front of the binder, than for theback, or it may be desirable to print, emboss, decorate, or the like,the front cover and not the back. In either event, front and backcovers, 4, 6, each include hinge member 111 having cylindrical end 112which, when the binder is assembled, is received into back or frontcover C-shaped recesses 20, 24 of backer plate 2 and are retainedtherein for pivotal movement to open and close the cover. Hinge member111 is fastened, as by, for example, rivets, to cover plate 114. Coverplate 114 may be of any suitable material, opaque, transparent ortranslucent and may, if desired, be covered with cloth or othermaterial. Cover plate 114 may be plastic, pressed fiberboard or anysuitable material for protecting the directory or directories, bound inthe binder. Where the binder will be used out of doors covered plate 114should, of course, be weatherproof. For indoor pur poses less expensivecover plate materials may be used.

Hinge member 111 may be metal, plastic, or other material suitable forhinge purposes. For example, hinge member 110 may be stainless,nickel-plated, cadmuim-plated or zinc-plated steel and, where steel,cylinder end 112 may be rolled or extruded along the edge. Preferably,hinge member 111 is of a flexible, plastic material, such ashigh-density polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers thereof, orsuitable plastic material which will withstand repeated flexing and theabuses common to directory binders.

In the embodiment of the instant invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4,and described above, the binder is adapted to be hinge supported. Inassembling such binder, either bottom plate 8 or top plate 10 isinserted into the recess in backer plate 2 formed by flanges 34, 36 andthe back of backer plate 2 and the appropriate pin and circlet areinserted, locking the plate in position. The covers 4, 6 are thenassembled by inserting cylindrical portion 112 of hinge 111 intoC-shaped recesses 20, 24 and sliding the cover along the backing plateuntil the end of cylindrical portion 112 abuts the ears on the plate.The remaining plate is then positioned in the recess in backer plate 2and the appropriate pin and circlet are installed. The hooked ends ofrods 62, 64 are hooked into keyed openings 54, 56. The directory, ordirectories, are then inserted in the binder so that the bound ends ofthe directory or directories, are between outwardly extending flanges30, 32 and rods 62, 64 are then locked into keyed openings 108, holdingthe directory by its back binding between rods 62, 64 and backer plate2. This may be done with the binder hinged on hinge pin 14 of thetelephone booth or before the binder is hinged in position. Because ofthe variation in the thicknesses of telephone directories and the numberof directories that may be bound into a single binder at a particularlocation, a number of backers 2 of various widths may be provided. Thus,the installer may be provided with a variety of covers and a variety ofdifferent size backer plates 2 and, by selection, can adapt the binderto the requirements of the particular location, i.e., directorythickness, indoor or outdoor installation and, as will now be described,hinge or cable mountings.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, in this embodiment the directory issupported by cable mounted on a swivel in bracket 122 having holes 124,126 for mounting the cable on the telephone booth or structure in closeproximity to the telephone. In this embodiment the top and bottombrackets are identical. Thus, at the top of the binder a bracketidentical to bottom bracket 8 hereinabove described is assembled at thetop of backer plate 2. Swivel end 130 is inserted through aligned holes51 and held in position by circlet 132 in a recess in swiveled end 130.When the binder of FIGS. 6 and 7 is assembled and the directory, ordirectories, are installed, as hereinabove described, the binder, withthe directories, is suspended from its upper end from cable 120.

In FIG. 8, the directory is suspended from a cable in hole 72. In thisembodiment the end brackets of FIG. 7 are utilized. Button 74 is removedand swivel 130 is inserted and locked in position with circlet 132.

As can be seen from the foregoing description the binder may beassembled for a number of different installations. By choosing theparticular components to meet the requirements of the particularinstallation, the installer can adapt the binder to particular needs.Furthermore, should a part become worn, damaged or disfigured, thedamaged part can be removed or replaced without removing the balance ofthe binder. Where the directory is hinged, the directory may be hingedon the bottom or the top merely by repositioning the top and bottombrackets. Likewise, the binder may be cable supported from its top, itsbottom, or intermediate its length by selectively positioning cable 120and swivel 130.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the useof such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of thefeatures shown and described or portions thereof, but is recognized thatvarious modifications are possible.

What is claimed is: I

l. A binder for telephone directories comprising:

a. An elongated backer plate having a pair of C-shaped recesses,remotely spaced from one another, said recesses extending longitudinallyalong the elongated marginal edges of said backer plate;

b. a pair of brackets mounted remote one from another in substantiallyparallel relationship on an inner face of said backer plate, saidbrackets extending longitudinally along said inner face of said backerplate, each bracket extending outwardly from said inner face andincluding an outwardly extending flange and an inwardly extendingflange, said inwardly extending flange being spaced from said inner faceof said backer plate and parallel thereto forming a recess therebetweento receive a top bracket and a bottom bracket;

c. front and back covers each having a substantially cylindrical edge,said cylindrical edge of said front cover extending in one of saidC-shaped recesses of said backer plate and said cylindrical edge of saidback cover extending in a second C-shaped recess of said backer plate,said cylindrical edges and said C-shaped recesses forming, therebetween,a hinge mounting on said backer plate for said front and back covers,respectively; and d. a bottom bracket and a top bracket both including akeeper portion slidably mounted on said backer plate in the receivingrecesses defined between said inner face of said backer plate and saidinwardly extending flanges mounted thereon, an outwardly extendingportion perpendicularly aligned with said keeper portion, a pair of carsfixed to said outwardly extending portion extending laterally andrearwardly thereof over the ends of said C- shaped recesses formingclosures therefor and an angularly disposed inwardly formed edgeintegral with said outwardly extending portion and extending inwardlytoward said keeper portion. 2. A binder as recited in claim 1 in whichsaid binder includes means for attaching said binder to a supportstructure.

3. A binder as recited in claim 2 in which said means for attaching saidbinder to a support structure includes a hinge bracket.

4. A binder as recited in claim 3 in which said hinge bracket isattached to said top plate.

5. A binder as recited in claim 2 in which said means for attaching saidbinder to a support structure includes a cable.

6. A binder as recited in claim 5 in which said cable is attached tosaid top plate.

7. A binder as recited in claim 6 in which said cable is pivotallyattached to said top plate by a pin attached at one end to said cable,said pin extending through said top plate and being held therein by acirclet.

8. A binder as recited in claim 5 in which said cable is attached to thehacker plate of said binder intermediate said top and bottom plates by apin attached at one end to said cable and extending through said backerplate, said pin being held in said backer plate by a circlet.

9. The binder defined in claim 1 in which each angularly disposedinwardly formed edge of said top and bottom brackets has a pair ofaxially aligned apertures located therein; and a pair of rods havingcurved ends, an end of each rod respectively arranged in alignedapertures of said top and bottom brackets.

1. A binder for telephone directories comprising: a. An elongated backerplate having a pair of C-shaped recesses, remotely spaced from oneanother, said recesses extending longitudinally along the elongatedmarginal edges of said backer plate; b. a pair of brackets mountedremote one from another in substantially parallel relationship on aninner face of said backer plate, said brackets extending longitudinallyalong said inner face of said backer plate, each bracket extendingoutwardly from said inner face and including an outwardly extendingflange and an inwardly extending flange, said inwardly extending flangebeing spaced from said inner face of said backer plate and parallelthereto forming a recess therebetween to receive a top bracket and abottom bracket; c. front and back covers each having a substantiallycylindrical edge, said cylindrical edge of said front cover extending inone of said C-shaped recesses of said backer plate and said cylindricaledge of said back cover extending in a second Cshaped recess of saidbacker plate, said cylindrical edges and said C-shaped recesses forming,therebetween, a hinge mounting on said backer plate for said front andback covers, respectively; and d. a bottom bracket and a top bracketboth including a keeper portion slidably mounted on said backer plate inthe receiving recesses defined between said inner face of said backerplate and said inwardly extending flanges mounted thereon, an outwardlyextending portion perpendicularly aligned with said keeper portion, apair of ears fixed to said outwardly extending portion extendinglaterally and rearwardly thereof over the ends of said C-shaped recessesforming closures therefor and an angularly disposed inwardly formed edgeintegral with said outwardly extending portion and extending inwardlytoward said keeper portion.
 2. A binder as recited in claim 1 in whichsaid binder includes means for attaching said binder to a supportstructure.
 3. A binder as recited in claim 2 in which said means forattaching said binder to a support structure includes a hinge bracket.4. A binder as recited in claim 3 in which said hinge bracket isattached to said top plate.
 5. A binder as recited in claim 2 in whichsaid means for attaching said binder to a support structure includes acable.
 6. A binder as recited in claim 5 in which said cable is attachedto said top plate.
 7. A binder as recited in claim 6 in which said cableis pivotally attached to said top plate by a pin attached at one end tosaid cable, said pin extending through said top plate and being heldtherein by a circlet.
 8. A binder as recited in claim 5 in which saidcable is attached to the backer plate of said binder intermediate saidtop and bottom plates by a pin attached at one end to said cable andextending through said backer plate, said pin being held in said backerplate by a circlet.
 9. The binder defined in claim 1 in which eachangularly disposed inwardly formed edge of said top and bottom bracketshas a pair of axially aligned apertures located therein; and a pair ofrods having curved ends, an end of each rod respectively arranged inaligned apertures of said top and bottom brackets.